ABSTRACT
The strategic system in the Nordic area at present can be characterized by a bipolarized East–West power structure. This chapter proceeds from some of the main characteristics of the strategic system, the actors’ doctrines and the types of judgement which lead to the consideration of military actions. From these assumptions an overall description is made of the character of a future war. From this description, such war scenarios are extracted as can concern the Nordic area. These war scenarios are analysed in such detail that conclusions can be drawn about the possible role of nuclear weapons. One must note the problems of finding a balance between a detailed description (in order to facilitate reasoning in concrete operational terms) and general conclusions. Finally, an attempt is made to ‘answer’ the basic questions about an nuclear-weapon-free zone from an actor’s perspective.
